This past March, Universal Promise traveled to South Africa - with medically-trained volunteers - for its second health initiative in the country's Eastern Cape. In a small neighborhood in Addo, we conducted basic physicals and testing, as well as educational seminars in the privacy of residents' homes. The door-to-door approach sheds light on the personal struggles that compound a patient's medical issues and brings a tone of respect and dignity that may be compromised in an overcrowded clinic atmosphere.

Our medical staff, and the local medical staff with whom they partner, witness the full spectrum of conditions, from one young man lying on a dirt floor in 100-degree weather with a respiratory rate of 60 breaths/minute and a heart rate of 150 beats/minute to a 38-year-old pregnant woman who nearly gave birth (see left) in her home because of a woefully delayed ambulance that took over three hours to arrive.

The challenges the residents face are extreme: life-threatening medical conditions, malnutrition, a lack of clean water (or any water), long waits in local clinics, no transport to keep them compliant with their treatment, and more. In the midst of these conditions are rays of hope: the proposal of sustainable programs, for instance, on which Universal Promise is working, such as mobile clinics and visiting nurse organizations.

Another ray of hope is the involvement of MDF Instruments.

For two years running, MDF Instruments has answered our plea by donating stethoscopes, blood pressure devices and cuffs, diagnostic pen lights, reflex hammers, and moral support. They have connected on a genuine level with our efforts and with those we serve. MDF Instruments is an organization that donates and follows up, illustrative of compassion and caring that is as important as the materials they generously provide.

So, we thank you, MDF Instruments, for your philanthropy of the wallet and the heart. We love companies with a soul, and we are grateful to you for entrusting us with your mission.